George H. Sharpe

February 26, 1828 - January 13, 1900

from The New York Times, January 15, 1900:

GEN. G. H. SHARPE DEAD.
Long Distinguished, Both in Mili-
tary and Civilian Life.
A FAVORITE OF GEN. GRANT
Perilous Work as a Federal Official
When Tweed Ring Flour-
ished in New York.
Gen. George H. Sharpe, who resigned from
the Board of United States General Ap-
praisers last March, died at midnight Fri-
day, at the house of his son-in-law, Ira
Davenport, 31 East Thirty-ninth Street. Gen.
Sharpe left his home in Kingston, this
State, shortly before Christmas to visit
his daughter, Mrs. Davenport. He was taken
ill about ten days ago, and Drs. Janeway
and E. L. Keyes were called to attend him.
He was operated upon a few days ago, and
owing principally to his advanced age, was
not able to rally from the shock.
Gen. Sharpe had a distinguished army
career, and afterward in civil life held sev-
eral positions in the Federal and State
service. He was born in Kingston in 1828.
His early education was received in that
place and at Albany. He entered Rutgers
College, and was graduated in 1847, with
honors, subsequently studied law at Yale,
and was admitted to the bar from the law
office of Bidwell & Strong of this city.
Later he went to Europe, and in 1851-2
served as Secretary of Legation in Vienna.
In 1854 he returned to this country and be-
gan the practice of law at Kingston, where
he was at the breaking out of the rebellion.
He was at that time enjoying a consider-
able practice, as well as a rising reputation,
and in consequence of his business had re-
signed the Captaincy of a local militia
company. He recalled his regination, how-
ever, and immediately set about to raise a
company of volunteers, which he led in the
field as a part of the First Regiment of
New York Volunteers, known as the Ulster
County Regiment. Capt. Sharpe gained dis-
tinction in many of the early battles.
At the end of the term of enlistment he
returned to Kingston and raised the One
Hundred and Twentieth New York Regi-
ment, of which he was made Colonel. He
was attached to the Army of the Potomac
and took part in all the hard-fought battles
from Fredericksburg ot Appomattox. He
was at one time Provost General. He
served upon the staffs of Gens. Hooker,
Meade, and Grant, and was brevetted Brig-
adier General in 1864 and Major General in
1865.
Gen. Grant had been attracted to Gen.
Sharpe when he came East, and attached
him to his staff, retaining him as one of his
chief advisers until the end of the war.
Earlier, while upon Gen. Hooker's staff,
Gen. Sharpe was placed in charge of the
"Bureau of Military Information Concern-
ing the Enemy," a dangerous and delicate
mission, which he fulfilled with great credit
for three years.
Gen. Sharpe, at Lee's surrender, was in-
trusted with the duty of parolling the Con-
federate Army. In June, 1865, he was mus-
tered out at his own request. Two years
later Secretary Seward sent him abroad on
a secret mission which he performed with
great credit. In 1870 Gen. Grant, remember-
ing his service in the army, appointed Gen.
Sharpe United States Marshal for the
Southern District of New York. The Tweed
ring flourished at this time, and almost his
first duty was the taking of the ninth
census, owing to the stupendous election
frauds that had been practiced. A serious
conflict ensued between the Federal and
city authorities, and many times Gen.
Sharpe's life was threatened by the fol-
lowers of Tweed. An honest election was
one result of his work; another was the
conviction of two of the most notorious re-
peaters, one of whom was a member of the
Democratic General Committee. His census
which was afterward verified, resulted in
great commendation for its thoroughness
and accuracy.
Gen. Sharpe in 1873 was made Surveyor
of the Port, in which post he served five
years, or nearly a year after the expiration
of his commission. Gen. Sharpe was also
at the head of the commission appointed to
promote commercial relations between the
United States and Central and South Amer-
ican countries, which carried with it in his
case the rank of Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary. He resigned after
Mr. Cleveland became President that he
might be succeeded by an official in full
sympathy with the incoming administra-
tion, but Mr. Cleveland did not fill his place.
From 1879 to 1883 he was a member of
the Assembly, being Speaker in the years
1880 and 1881. His last official position was
as a member of the Board of United States
General Appraisers, to which he was ap-
pointed in 1890. Long before his actual re-
tirement he had expressed his intention of
giving up his duties when he should reach
the age of seventy.
Gen. Sharpe offered his resignation in
1898, bbut it was returned by President Mc-
Kinley for further consideration. Again
in February he sent in his resignation to
take effect on March 1, 1899, which was
accepted by the President in a letter of re-
gret that his advanced years had prompted
him to take that step. Since then Gen.
Sharpe has lived in retirement at Kingston.
Gen. Sharpe's wife died two years ago.
She was Caroline Hasbrouck, a daughter of
A. Bruin Hasbrouck, a member of Congress
in 1825. He leaves two sons and a daugh-
ter. The elder son, Severyn Bruin Sharpe,
a lawyer in Kingston, is at present County
Judge. The second son, Henry G. Sharpe, is
a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States
Army, attached to the Commissary Depart-
ment at Washington. His daughter, who
is the wife of Mr. Davenport, was Miss
Katherine Lawrence Sharpe.
The funeral will take place to-morrow at
3 o'clock P. M. at Kingston.